Maundy Thursday 2019

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: John 13:10
Theme: “You Are Clean”

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

It’s natural that Jesus chose the celebration of the Passover meal to institute Holy Communion. The annual Passover celebration commemorated God’s deliverance of His people from bondage in Egypt. It is a primary image of redemption in the Old Testament. The blood of lambs on the doorposts of Israelite houses spared them from the punishment against the firstborn rendered on the Egyptians. God is long-suffering, but He doesn’t allow evil to prevail. The lamb’s blood wasn’t magical, of course, it was a sign. Those who dwelled within were God’s people. Their faith resided in Him. The slaughtered lambs pointed to a greater sacrifice to come.

So, it was natural for Jesus to choose the Passover. What’s not natural is the reality He instituted. The Lord’s Supper is supernatural in its very essence. The common elements of bread and wine are present, yet these are just vehicles for Christ’s body and blood. His true body and blood are present in a mystical way and we receive them through sacramental eating. There is nothing ordinary about this meal. It has no peers. There are no direct points of comparison. It involves an internalization of the sacrificial work of Christ. And, as the saying goes, you are what you eat.

It may seem obligatory on Maundy Thursday to say that the Lord’s Supper is the most important meal that anyone can ever receive. But that doesn’t make it any less true. It is the only meal that nourishes the soul as well as the body. It is the only meal that communicates divine forgiveness. These truths must be taken on faith. They can never be proven. When we receive the Lord’s Supper, we are eating the promises of God. We participate together in His holy blessings and are galvanized as His people.

Holy Communion is a concession to the frailty of our faith. We are natural doubters. Like Thomas, we prefer to touch and feel before we believe. In so doing, we are desiring evidence before surrendering trust. In the Sacrament of the Altar the tongue and the teeth come into contact with the surrendered body and poured out blood of the Lord. It is tangible to our senses, but not immediately measurable by our souls. (Who can quantify the increase of his or her faith that is a result of receiving Holy Communion?) But God’s holy gifts do not fail to have their effects. Holy Communion, when received in good faith, always benefits the recipient even when its value isn’t immediately evident.
Conversely, those who partake of the sacrament unworthily incur the judgment of God according to the Scripture, “Whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”1 So, how do we prepare properly to receive Holy Communion? What is the benchmark? What is the standard? Intentional efforts to deny or cover up our sins make us unfit to receive this blessing. We can’t pull the wool over God’s eyes. We can’t pick and choose which of our transgressions we think need forgiving. People who are in steadfast denial of sin are not ready to receive forgiveness. They are not seeking it. They are, in fact, saying they don’t need it. The Lord’s Supper then becomes a confirmation of their impenitence.

Christians have adopted many fine customs over the centuries to aide in preparation for proper reception of the sacrament. They include, fasting, self-denial, charitable giving, special meditation, and self-examination involving reviewing one’s status before God. Luther drew up a set of questions, some of which we used earlier in the service, for just this purpose. But the critical issue is expressed by Luther in the Small Catechism when he says, “That person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: ‘Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.’”2 Take God at His word. Don’t question whether your transgressions are beyond the pale of His forgiveness. He died and rose again for you. He cleanses your soul, just as He said to His disciples in the Passover account tonight.

Holy Communion also has important implications on the horizontal level. It is not a private matter between us and God. It empowers our bearing of one another’s burdens, of loving others as Christ loved us. At the Last Supper Jesus models humility in the washing of the disciples’ feet. It was a menial task. It certainly didn’t fall under the job description of a Rabbi. But Jesus wasn’t just a Rabbi; He is the Son of God. He says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another’s feet.”3 In your acts of service, you’re not only a spouse or parent, a child, a boss, or a worker, you’re a servant of the Servant King. You’re an envoy of the Sovereign of the universe. When we understand that, our whole outlook on how we relate to others is transformed.

Dear friends, it’s no coincidence that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper in the context of His passion. It’s not an ordinary meal where we recline at the table with Jesus as the disciples did many times during their tutelage. The apostle says, “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”4 Our Lord is now only hours from His crucifixion. On the cross forgiveness, life, and salvation were secured. He invites you to receive the blessings He procured there. You are God’s own, His baptized. He welcomes you to His table. There He promises, “You are clean.”5 according to the Scripture that says, “The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”6 In His most holy name, Amen.




+ In nomine Jesu +

Maundy Thursday
18 April 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 11:27-28
2 Luther’s Small Catechism
3 John 13:14
4 1 Corinthians 11:26
5 John 13:10
6 1 John 1:9